The Lakers were a little angry, mildly frustrated and openly defiant when they returned to the practice court Monday. A last-second home loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night put them into an emotional state.

Above all, the Lakers refused to make excuses for Sunday’s loss and vowed to play better tonight against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center.

“We’ve had a good run, but we’ve slipped a little,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “It’s time to tighten it up a little bit.”

Defensively, the Lakers said they must contest more layups and dunks.

Offensively, they said they must avoid predictability.

“We could have come out of it with a victory, and it would have been a steal for us because we didn’t play that well,” Kobe Bryant said of Sunday’s loss. “It’s always frustrating when you lose. Everybody’s a little upset about it – very upset about it – and I think that’s a good sign. …

“We’ve just got to tighten the screws a little bit.”

After tonight’s game against the Raptors (34-28), the Lakers (44-19) face their toughest road test of the season, a four-game trek that could cement their status as the Western Conference’s top team or send them reeling back into the pack.

The Lakers play the New Orleans Hornets on Friday, the Houston Rockets on Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks on March 18 and the Utah Jazz on March 20 before returning home March 21 to face the out-of-contention Seattle SuperSonics.

Each of their four opponents on the trip is in a playoff position.

“We definitely want to do a good job (tonight against Toronto) and set a tone for the road trip,” Pau Gasol said. “We know it’s going to be tough. We’re playing four good teams on the road. They’re not going to give us anything.”

Rough stuff

The Lakers say they have noticed the games have grown a good deal more physical, particularly around the baskets. Bryant, for instance, screamed for calls on almost every drive but didn’t receive the justice he sought each time. What’s more, Bryant earned his 13th technical foul of the season for arguing about a non-call in the third quarter. Should he draw three more technical fouls this season, he would be forced to serve a one-game suspension. “I’ve been on them to stay off the referees,” Jackson said. “We’re on the referees too often. Eventually, the referees are going to turn a deaf ear or a blind eye or whatever.”

Running in place … expensively

The Lakers athletic training staff leased a fancy new treadmill that simulates low gravity conditions to aid Trevor Ariza, Andrew Bynum and Chris Mihm in their recoveries from foot, kneecap and heel injuries, respectively. The players can run without the pounding they would normally experience on a regular treadmill or on the court.The treadmill offers a better cardio workout than running chest-deep in a swimming pool. It also comes with a whopping $75,000 price tag, so don’t expect to see one at your local gym any time in the near future.